Ndume’s alarmist posture clashes with battlefield realities

… raises deeper questions on leadership accountability

By Chidi Omeje

The latest warning by former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume that Nigeria risks losing parts of Borno and the North-East to insurgents has triggered not just concern, but also criticism over what is describe as a recurring pattern of “selective outrage” disconnected from both battlefield realities and long-term governance responsibilities.

Ndume, speaking with Journalist in Maiduguri on Tuesday painted a grim picture of troops allegedly overwhelmed in Ngoshe and Pulka. But within the same operational theatre, a dramatically different reality was unfolding.

Drawing from multiple field assessments, including those documented by both mainstream and international Media, have reports sustained targeting of insurgent leadership structures is now yielding measurable operational gains.

Among the most notable breakthroughs is the neutralisation of Modu Kundiri, a top ISWAP commander and Qa’id of the Pulka axis in Gwoza LGA. Kundiri, who controlled a critical corridor linking Sambisa Forest and the Mandara mountains, was eliminated during a military operation along the Madagali–Gwoza axis, an area long regarded as a strategic insurgent supply and mobility route.

His death has reportedly triggered leadership instability within ISWAP ranks, with intelligence sources indicating confusion over succession and operational control. The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai was also not left out, it has intensified its dominance of the battlespace in North-East theartre, executing a series of precision airstrikes that have significantly degraded the operational capacity of both Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram across Borno State.

Recent intelligence-driven missions monitored indicates a clear shift toward high-impact aerial interdiction, leadership decapitation, and destruction of insurgent logistics hubs, reinforcing the growing synergy between air and ground forces.

In a separate high-value mission in the Yuwe axis of Sambisa, precision airstrikes eliminated multiple senior ISWAP commanders, including Saddam and Saleh Garin Kago. Additional fighters, Hussaini Ubaida and Ba Alayi Benbem, were also neutralised, while command structures and logistics warehouses were destroyed.

In the Ngoshe–Pulka corridor, the Air Component demonstrated rapid responsiveness, killing 50 terrorists after an initial attack on the town. In a separate operation, troops neutralised Malam Bako Gorgore (Abou Mustapha), a senior Shura Council member of ISWAP, who led fighter to the operation that led to the killing of Abubakar Shekau, during an encounter in Kukawa LG

Further compounding ISWAP’s losses, internal discord has also claimed lives within its hierarchy both in the Lake Chad and Sambisa forest. Also recently, a senior commander, Abu Kasim, was reportedly killed by an improvised explosive device planted by his own faction amid clashes with rival elements, highlighting deepening fractures within the group.

Another figure, Abu Nazir, was also reportedly eliminated during internal purges, reflecting a growing pattern of distrust and fragmentation within insurgent ranks.

Beyond targeted eliminations, Nigerian troops have inflicted heavy battlefield casualties on insurgent formations. In one of the most decisive engagements in recent months, troops of Operation Hadin Kai repelled a major assault on a military base in Malam Fatori, Abadam LGA, killing at least 80 fighters, including senior commanders.

The attackers, drawn from ISWAP reportedly deployed armed drones in a coordinated pre-dawn offensive, an indication of evolving insurgent tactics. However, the response from Nigerian forces combining ground fire with precision air strikes resulted in massive insurgent casualties, recovery of weapons, explosives, and drone components and disruption of withdrawal routes.

Though, these victory, the not come without challenges, the Nigerian troops had recorded some challenges including attacks on Konduga, Banki and Kukawa were three Commanding Officers and several soldiers paid the supreme price while defending their areas of deployment.

For many reporters of insurgency, the contrast is striking. It is almost as if there are two parallel narratives. “One of a collapsing military as purported by a supposedly informed lawmaker and another of a force steadily degrading insurgents in different operations.

But it is not surprising, dume’s interventions often follow a familiar script: spotlight failure, amplify fear, and conveniently sidestep any acknowledgement of military resilience or progress. Indeed, while it is politically convenient to sound the alarm, it is far less fashionable to recognise that troops often under extreme conditions continue to hold ground, repel attacks, and currently taking the fight deep into insurgent enclaves in Sambisa forest and Timbuktu Triangle.

If pessimism were a security strategy, perhaps the war would have been won by now. But beyond the immediate security debate lies a more uncomfortable conversation, one that touches on representation, development, and legacy.

The Gwoza axis—Pulka, Kirawa, Ashigashiya, Warabe and surrounding communities has for years struggled with basic infrastructure deficits: limited access to potable water, electricity, healthcare, and economic opportunities. These are not new problems. They predate the insurgency and, in many respects, helped create the fertile ground exploited by extremist recruiters among the teeming youths.

The road network was either very dilapidated or completely washed off, allowing the terrorists to plant IEDs, targeting troops and commuters.
This raises a blunt question: after decades of political representation, how much structural changes or development has truly occurred in these communities?

It is ok to blame the military for everything including the root causes of the insurgency to hide our failure of leadership. Yes. It is easier to criticise soldiers in the field than to explain years of underdevelopment back home.

To call for better equipping for the military are legitimate and widely supported. Nigerian troops deserve the best possible tools to prosecute a complex and evolving war.
However, caution should be observed against performative criticism statements that only generate headlines but do little to constructively engage with the realities of counter-insurgency operations.There is a thin line between advocacy and political tantrum. Crossing that line repeatedly erodes credibility.

There was already a parallel conversation gaining traction, one that shifts attention from the battlefield to the balance sheet.

There have been concerns surrounding a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-linked road project executed by Sen. Ali Ndume in Maiduguri, reportedly valued at about ₦1.4 billion, and claims in public discourse suggesting that the project may have been executed at a fraction of that cost.

These claims have ignited call for formal investigation, by the EFCC and ICPC because they have nonetheless triggered a wave of questions that are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

According to discussions in political and civic circles, the project allegedly awarded at ₦1.4 billion the federal government may have been subcontracted or executed at approximately ₦300 million by Ali Ndume and his Senator friend. And the Subcontractors also took N150 million and executed the project at N150 million.
If accurate, such a gap raises obvious and uncomfortable questions.

“Even without jumping to conclusions, the arithmetic itself demands explanation. Where there is such a wide disparity, transparency is not optional, it is necessary.” Beyond the figures lies a deeper concern: value for money. When large-scale public projects are executed at significantly reduced costs without clear justification, the likely outcome is compromised quality.

In practical terms, that could mean roads that deteriorate quickly, fail under minimal stress, or never fully meet their intended purpose. A substandard road in a fragile zone is not just bad engineering, It is a setback to recovery, security, and economic survival.”

What has drawn particular attention is the contrast between Ndume’s strong criticism of government performance especially on military resourcing and the absence of equally strong public clarity regarding projects linked to his constituency.

Critics argue that accountability cannot be selective. “It is difficult to sustain a position of constant oversight when questions about one’s own projects remain unanswered.”

For Ali Ndume, challenge is no longer just about raising concerns. It is about responding to them.
Because in the end, leadership is measured not only by the ability to question others, but by the willingness to provide clear answers when the spotlight turns inward.

Ndume’s alarmist posture clashes with battlefield realities

Nigeria Launches Unified Framework to Tackle Humanitarian Crises and Poverty

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has launched a new national framework aimed at ending fragmented humanitarian and poverty interventions through the One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), a coordinated approach designed to align emergency assistance, social protection, and long-term poverty reduction.

The initiative, introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, seeks to harmonize government and partner efforts in responding to humanitarian crises while creating sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The framework was unveiled during a high-level engagement involving federal and state institutions, development partners, humanitarian agencies, academia, and technical organizations. Stakeholders at the meeting emphasized the need for a unified national system capable of addressing the growing complexity of humanitarian needs and multidimensional poverty across Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard M. Doro, said the initiative marks a major shift from isolated interventions to a coordinated national architecture that connects humanitarian assistance with recovery, resilience, livelihoods, and sustainable development.

He stressed that poverty reduction and humanitarian response must be treated as a national priority, particularly in a country facing climate-related shocks, displacement, food insecurity, and widening economic vulnerability.

According to the minister, OHOPRS will help align institutions, resources, and data systems around measurable outcomes for citizens while enabling vulnerable households to transition from dependency to productivity.

International partners welcomed the reform and pledged support for its implementation.

The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) described the framework as an important systems-based reform that places resilience and inclusion at the center of national development. He noted that the initiative provides a platform for linking humanitarian response with long-term development outcomes.

Similarly, the Head of Office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said the framework strengthens national ownership of humanitarian coordination and improves alignment between humanitarian operations and government systems.

The Country Representative of UNICEF highlighted the opportunity to better reach vulnerable children and families through integrated programming that connects emergency response with education, nutrition, child protection, and social protection services.

The World Bank Country Director also welcomed the initiative, noting that stronger data systems, measurable outcomes, and improved institutional coordination are essential for sustainable poverty reduction.

Support for the initiative also came from the European Union, whose ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS emphasized the importance of transparency, evidence-based planning, and stronger partnerships to ensure development investments produce lasting results.

Humanitarian partners also underscored the importance of improved coordination. The head of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) highlighted the need for better vulnerability targeting and accountability, while the Nigeria Country Director of International Alert noted that poverty, insecurity, and vulnerability are interconnected and require integrated, conflict-sensitive responses.

Experts from academia and government statistical institutions also emphasized the role of research and data in the success of the initiative. The Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University called for strong collaboration between policymakers and research institutions, while the Statistician-General of the Federation stressed the need for credible data systems to support planning, targeting, and monitoring.

State governments are expected to play a critical role in implementing the framework, aligning their humanitarian and poverty reduction programmes with the national system to ensure better targeting and more responsive service delivery.

A key component of OHOPRS is the development of an integrated data and monitoring ecosystem to track needs, interventions, funding, and outcomes across different levels of government and partner organizations.

Officials say the initiative is not merely a programme but a broad systems reform intended to transform how Nigeria supports vulnerable populations. By linking humanitarian action with long-term poverty reduction, the government hopes to move communities from recurring crises toward resilience and economic opportunity.

The Federal Government called on ministries, state authorities, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector to align with the framework and contribute to its implementation, stressing that addressing humanitarian vulnerability and poverty requires coordinated leadership and sustained collaboration.

Nigeria Launches Unified Framework to Tackle Humanitarian Crises and Poverty

One Week After Black Monday in Maiduguri, Police Headquarters Count Losses

By: Bodunrin Kayode

As Maiduguri residents continue to count the cost of casualties from last Monday’s IED explosion, the Nigerian Police Command headquarters has said that one of its men, Sergeant David Samuel has lost his life in the tragedy.

The Command which has been very careful in the way the death of the sergeant was managed announced through their spokesman Nahum Daso that it has been established that a police sergeant serving the country in the state paid the supreme sacrifice after being inflicted with multiple wounds at the Monday market explosion.

Until his death, the tall Sergeant David Samuel was one of the guards securing the Monday market against insurgents who have a penchant for penetrating multi billion naira crowded areas like the Monday market.

Though Police Sergeant Samuel did not die on the same Monday evening the tragic incident occurred, he died two days after possibly due to the resultant injuries which led to excessive bleeding.

While many others survived due to the innate resilience of residents of the city to survive, Sam however died two days after the blast on wednesday last week due to what hospital sources described as complications at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) were he was finally admitted after the blast.

Spokesperson of the Police Command who disclosed the sad news to this reporter noted that Sergeant Samuel had reported for duty that day not knowing that last monday would be his last assignment for his country.

“He actually died of multiple injuries not on the spot but in the hospital. The injuries in many parts of his body obviously led to complications coupled with the trauma which would have dealt a heavy blow on him” said ASP Daso.

Sergeant Sam who hails from Askira Uba is survived by his parents, siblings and family members and has since being buried at the Dala cemetery in Maiduguri after the church service held at EYN tanki

Maiduguri had witnessed a lull in such violent active by these criminals until recently when troops embarked on clearance operations dealt heavy blows in the insurgent hideouts inside the Timbuktu triangular and beyond.

One Week After Black Monday in Maiduguri, Police Headquarters Count Losses